When Fallout Season 2 premiered, fans celebrated seeing New Vegas on screen. The Strip. The casinos. Mr. House. The Mojave.
Then they checked the credits.
Obsidian Entertainment—the studio that created Fallout: New Vegas—wasn't credited. The developers who designed these iconic locations and characters received no acknowledgment.
This sparked immediate controversy. Here's what happened and why it matters.
What Obsidian Created in New Vegas
The scope of Obsidian's contribution is massive.
- Mr. House (character, personality, backstory)
- New Vegas as a setting (The Strip, the casinos, the factions)
- The Mojave Wasteland's entire design
- The NCR's detailed structure
- Caesar's Legion
- Numerous companion characters
The Story: New Vegas's narrative explored themes of power, democracy, and control. Many of these themes carry directly into Season 2.
Fan Favorites: Locations like the Lucky 38, The Tops, and Gomorrah are Obsidian creations. The show uses them extensively.
The Characters: Beyond House, characters created for New Vegas may appear. Every one originated with Obsidian's developers.
Development Time: Obsidian built New Vegas in just 18 months. That feat of creative achievement deserves recognition.
Amazon's Position
Amazon has not made detailed public statements, but the situation appears straightforward.
The Legal Reality: Bethesda owns Fallout. When Obsidian made New Vegas, they did so under contract. Everything they created belongs to Bethesda.
No Legal Obligation: Amazon licenses from Bethesda. They have no legal requirement to credit Obsidian.
Industry Standard?: Hollywood adaptations rarely credit original game developers beyond what contracts require. This isn't unusual.
The Problem: Legal and ethical aren't the same thing. Just because you can avoid crediting creators doesn't mean you should.
Bethesda's Role: Bethesda could have ensured Obsidian received acknowledgment. Whether they tried is unknown.
The Creators' Response
Obsidian's developers have responded with varying degrees of frustration.
Josh Sawyer: The New Vegas project director has been diplomatically disappointed. He's expressed appreciation for fans advocating for credit while avoiding direct attacks.
Chris Avellone: The controversial former Obsidian writer (who has separate disputes with the company) noted the irony of his work being adapted without credit.
Other Developers: Many who worked on New Vegas have shared mixed feelings—pride in seeing their work adapted, disappointment in the lack of acknowledgment.
The Measured Tone: Most developers have avoided antagonism. They work in an industry where burning bridges has consequences.
What They Want: Simply acknowledgment. "Based on Fallout: New Vegas by Obsidian Entertainment" in the credits. Recognition that someone created what's on screen.
Fan Outcry and Community Response
The Fallout community rallied around Obsidian.
Social Media: #CreditObsidian trended after the premiere. Fans posted comparisons between game locations and show recreations.
Reddit Discussion: The Fallout subreddit debated extensively. Many expressed frustration with Amazon while others argued legal realities matter.
Game Journalism: Major outlets covered the controversy, bringing attention beyond dedicated fans.
Industry Voices: Other game developers expressed solidarity. Credit has become an industry-wide concern.
The Counter-Arguments: Some fans noted that crediting every IP contributor would be complex. Where does the line end?
The Response: Most agreed that major creative work—like designing an entire game's setting—crosses that line.
Industry Implications
This controversy matters beyond Fallout.
The Trend: More games are being adapted for television and film. How developers are credited sets precedents.
Power Dynamics: Game developers typically have less leverage than Hollywood creatives. Studios own their work outright.
Future Contracts: Developers may push for credit guarantees in future contracts. This controversy provides ammunition.
Consumer Pressure: Studios respond to bad publicity. Fan outcry might influence future adaptation credits.
The Bigger Picture: Who gets credit for creative work? In collaborative industries, this question is increasingly contested.
For Fallout: Whether Amazon or Bethesda responds remains to be seen. Season 3 could include Obsidian credits if pressure continues.
The games industry is watching.